Osker

Osker: Idle Will KillIdle Will Kill (2001)
Epitaph Records

Reviewer Rating: 4

User Rating:

Contributed by: JohnBenjaminJohn Benjamin
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on June 6th 2001What can you expect from the band labeled as the most hated act on Epitaph? The world is a carousel of people who don’t know what the hell they are talking about. With this in mind, Osker receives criticism from lemmings who are determined to slam the band because of their reputation. .

What can you expect from the band labeled as the most hated act on Epitaph?

The world is a carousel of people who don’t know what the hell they are talking about. With this in mind, Osker receives criticism from lemmings who are determined to slam the band because of their reputation. Kids don’t know Devon Williams (vocals, guitar) personally, yet they feel security and freedom to call him an asshole. Furthermore, some people receive a sense of accomplishment by writing “your bands sucks” on the Osker messageboard, a mature act which must not go unnoted. However, these actions are more of a reflection of the trivial lives some people lead rather than the quality of the music Osker makes. Don’t be lead astray by the “most hated” tag. Although Devon’s cynicism and brutal honesty can get him in trouble from time to time, that’s no reason to overlook Idle Will Kill.

Treatment 5, their first album on Epitaph, was a solid recording driven by honest lyrics written with a degree of cynicism and anger that can be related to. Treatment 5 can be characterized as fast, angry, and snotty. With Idle Will Kill, Osker proves they know the meaning of punk rock: doing what you want without worrying about how people have pigeonholed you. Idle Will Kill has more melody, intricacies, substance, and sophistication to it than Treatment 5; it is not the fast noise thrashing Osker that people have become accustomed to. Some fans have already noted the difference in albums, and if they approve of it or not, Osker doesn’t care; the objective of a band is to progress, not to re-record the same album over and over.

The first song, Patience, Devon’s voice sings over an acoustic guitar, “When were you schooled in technicalities? I didn’t know I made friends with fucking rock critics.” It’s the same honest Devon, with a piano, compliments of bass player Dave Benitez, lulling in the background. It’s a hooky song that clocks under two minutes, and gives a taste of Idle of Kill.

If I had to label Idle Will Kill, I would call it a pop-punk album. However, this is not the same predictable listener friendly pop-punk with meaningless lyrics that MTV has been attempting to commercialize. It’s the same pop-punk in the vein of Dillinger Four (just replace the political songs with teenage angst ones) strewn with lyrics of wit, sarcasm, cynicism, anger, honesty, and sincerity.

The songs that stand-out are Strangled, Contention, Motionless, Kinetic, and Disconnect Disconnect. Contention is one of the best songs I’ve heard in a while with a hell of a catchy chorus. Kinetic and Disconnect Disconnect are songs which prove Osker as musicians for those already not convinced. Credit deserves to go to producer Mike Trujillo just as much as Osker. The album sounds great with crisp instrument integration and some vocal manipulations. Trujillo also produced stuff by Choking Victim, which should prove to be some kind of validation for those who feel they have the authority to decide what punk is and is not. All in all, Idle Will Kill is a great album; a must for 2001.

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

arejaypunx (August 9, 2011)

5/5

arejaypunx (August 9, 2011)

this album is fucking definitive. Kinda makes me wish I was listening to Epitaph instead of Fat Wreck as a kid.... kinda.

drugmoney (November 4, 2010)

how could i forget how good this album is? this album is nothing short of amazing

Barmin (July 15, 2010)

Probably my favorite record of all time.

Alien (December 9, 2009)

This still remains as one of my top ten albums of all time. I wish they didn't break up.

these_parks_are_lakes (May 19, 2009)

ok, quick rundown: This is the first of the new skool sort of Orgcore bands; they had no idea that they were this way or what they were going to influence at the time.

Sure there is Hot Water Music, None More Black, and Dillinger Four, that have the gruff, beardy, honest passion going that I sets the tone for the genre, but these guys had the 90's skate / Pop punk influence before Dead to Me, The Menzingers, and other bands that I can think of at the moment. Dirty Tactics Rule.

-peace

ThomPunkAheaddotcom (July 11, 2008)

should be 10/10

ourownwar (December 22, 2007)

amazing album!

axx (January 27, 2007)

An absolutely wonderfull album.. all the songs are good, the lyrics are witty, the honesty spills out of the speakers.. one of the best records I know.

Play it loud and sing to it.

randomhero323 (August 22, 2006)

this cd is amazing

Anonymous (November 17, 2005)

I am still listening to this record.

Timeless and brilliant. Perfect record.

8dollarclarinetsolo (March 27, 2005)

maybe my favorite record of all time. its up there

Anonymous (March 12, 2005)

Killer Killer album

Barkley

Anonymous (May 26, 2004)

this album fucking rocks. seriously.

Anonymous (January 19, 2004)

Great record. One of my favs of all time.

Anonymous (June 22, 2003)

It's been a while since I've written about how much I love this (almost a year). But it is still so fantastic!! I love Devon's voice so much. It is a lyrical marvel each time I listen to this and I highly recommend it. My all time favourite album behind At the Drive-in:RoC and Bad Religion-All Ages

bemused (June 8, 2002)

FANTASTIC......Iagree with the post below, this was the album of 2001

Anonymous (May 19, 2002)

I love Osker. I love how they use big words in there songs and in real life. They make themselves out to be such assholes, yet they are intellegent assholes. Hats off to them, both albums are great, and they can probably eat other people or something now.

Anonymous (December 15, 2001)

best album of 2001.

Anonymous (November 25, 2001)

Fucking great album

Anonymous (November 16, 2001)

Just because it's not mainstream doesn't mean you have to hate it, Rory.

-Sr. Potpourri

Anonymous (November 14, 2001)

huh?

-Rory

Anonymous (November 13, 2001)

don't worry folks, i will take care of the pitiful Rory soon enough.- fathead

Anonymous (November 13, 2001)

House record? What the fuck? Get a fucking life!

Anonymous (November 13, 2001)

Both of you are full of shit! How can you confuse the get up kids with osker? The get up kids are clearly an agent orange ripoff band. Osker's almost dance music. We're talking completly different genres here.

As for Larry, I can kind of see where you're coming from. I guess Osker kind of sounds like Punkerham Lincolns older stuff. (The split they did with Thomas Punkerson comes to mind) They suck now and aren't hardcore anymore. That rhymed.

This album isn't horrible. I gave it this score because I don't think that a house record should be on punknews.

-Rory

OedipusWrecks (November 11, 2001)

Larry- I can sort of see where you're coming from with the Punkerham Lincoln thing, but seriously, have you heard the third song on the CD? I swear to god it's exactly like this Get Up Kids song only the lyrics are slightly changed...I can't believe they stole a song from the Get Up Kids, fuckin' NOBODY fucks with the Get Up Kids, they're hardcore. Osker must have some serious balls to dare to fuck with those guys, either that or they're stupid as hell. Most likely the latter.

-Eddie W.

Anonymous (November 5, 2001)

no you never are

Larry_Lawrence (November 2, 2001)

These guys just stole all there songs from Punkerham Lincoln! Am I right? Of course I am.

*LARRY LAWRENCE*

trav121 (October 15, 2001)

kick ass, definatelt the best album i've bought this year, lot of competition over hwm, alkline trio, and grade and such, but his lyrics are so awesome, and his weird voice. not really 1 super great song, but the album in its self, the way everything's put together, they're the best

booker_pee (September 23, 2001)

I think this might be one of the highest rated albums on this site...and it fucking deserves it. Phenomenal.

Anonymous (August 16, 2001)

this's a sweet album. i dont know why people hate them, they dont know what devon means by what he says. its just like how the government hits on rap (which i dont like anyways but it's still wrong) people just have different ways of expressing they're ideas. but, other than that, there's only like 1 song on here that isn't that good. they could change the way they do some of they're stuff, like in motionless, i've never liked groups saying "yeah" as a filler, so parts like that r weak. but they're lyrics r pretty damn cool, and it sounds awesome, no matter how deep ur intrest or style of punk, i'd recommend this to anyone.

-trav

Anonymous (August 15, 2001)

this is a good fuckin album

Anonymous (August 11, 2001)

Man osker fucking rocks!!!! i love those guys and fuck all those stupid-ass kidss that don't like them... They don't know shit about good music!!!
*sin-d*

Anonymous (August 7, 2001)

Anonymous (August 5, 2001)

Best album of the year so far

Anonymous (August 5, 2001)

there new album i believe is just as good as treatment 5. i cant wait to see these guys on the 9th. i saw them a year back on punk o rama, and talked to them afterwards, they are really unique, they dont really care at all what people think, they do what they want to do, which is what you are supposed to
so what if your style changes, they still sing there words, just, the different sound works better fpr there progress and words. very deep lyrics and well made album.

Anonymous (August 5, 2001)

I bought this albumn before the european release, off ebay. And loved it. it is one of my fav cds. And I have treatment 5 too, and liked that alot also. After hearing the huge change, i wasn't disappointed the slightest. I commented on the osker message board that new albumn allows osker to build on a new sound, the treatment 5 albumn was great though the sound was so familiar and easily done. Idle will kill, brings a new piece of the puzzle to build upon and really strengthen into something. You know? Anyways I will be their on the 23rd in san francisco with Union 13 and osker. LAter- Firestarter

Anonymous (August 2, 2001)

i didn't like this album at first, but after a few listens i changed my mind, it's a damn good album.

Anonymous (July 31, 2001)

i'm sorry. but everyone on this message board that says osker is that osker is that. osker is osker. the band is great. and the musicians are equally as great. devon is a very sincere person, yet blunt. he says the things that affect him. he's not writing songs about what people want to hear. he's writing music to please himself and make him happy. and along the way, if his music touches someone, the greater power to them. the first ablum, was great, was able to show how people treat each other. it was able to convey the real way people act and are. idle will kill is great, in being that its able to show how devon feels. and those feelings all of us have too. and to you people that do say devon is an asshole on stage, its on stage. devon puts up a front. he isn't like that in person.

Anonymous (July 30, 2001)

man, i really like "strangled" I have to get this cd.- fathead

BeaArthur (July 17, 2001)

I don't care if people hate these guys. I saw them with Guttermouth like 1 or 2 years ago. They started insulting the french people from quebec without realizing that 1/2 the people at the show were from there. The audience turned on them and Osker basically insulted all of them by saying stuff like "You're soo cool. At least you all have nice hats and all the right clothes. Lemmings." I thought it was pretty cool. When did being punk start meaning buying $50 skate t-shirts and $100 snowboarding sweaters? Christ.

Anonymous (July 10, 2001)

the only song i've heard in 'Strangled' on punkorama 405, but it is a really good song. i'll be buying this soon.- fathead

punk_kid (July 7, 2001)

this cd is fucking awesome.. sure it is nothing at all like Treatment 5 but who the fuck cares? this album has much much much more talent envolved than the 3-chord wonder that was Treatment 5

Anonymous (July 1, 2001)

I dunno why people hate these guys, I didn't think that much of treatment 5 but I really love this stuff the guys voice is just so interesting, It just gets so boring when you have stupid singers with identical voices (good charlotte anyone?)

- FunkpUck

Anonymous (June 14, 2001)

Im not anonymous Im shannon. Those people who say all this shit about Osker are dumb-asses!! I didn't even want to finish reading your lame comments. Osker is awesome, their music is in a class of its own and if you don't like that they are great then just shut your face!

Anonymous (June 13, 2001)

I have had this album for almost a month now (thanks to the internet) so I feel I have had sufficient time to record an honest review. (after all, I would not want to follow suit with those who have yet to listen to it!)I must say, that I beg to differ with those who say it is a "trendy" album. Take "Patience" for example - I don't hear any song by NFG, Ataris (or any of the other shitty bands mentioned) sounding like that. The music just has so much more to it than there previous effort Treatment 5. One should consider that truly recording a "trendy" album would have been doing Treatment 5 all over again. I mean, T5 wasn't really that original, but IDK is leaps and bounds above it in originality.

At least that's what I think - j

Anonymous (June 10, 2001)

spend your bucks in a better way .

punky (June 10, 2001)

Haven't heard this one yet, but Treatment 5 was a killer. Your rage can really relate to those lyrics. (Which are bout anger,empty promises, betrayel...).I've heart two songs from the new one, and it seems to me that they are much more sloppy now, which sucks.

Anonymous (June 9, 2001)

i didn't like this album at all. their first album was unbelievable. it was a top 5 album of 2000. but with this record they try to sound like all the other trendy pop punk-emo stuff thats really popular right now. you know; like the ataris, new found glory, saves the day, or any band on drive-thru records. i might have liked this record a little if i never heard their awesome 1st album. very disappointing "trendy" album by Osker.

Anonymous (June 9, 2001)

Okay could we stop this stupid "most hated band on epitaph" thing. I've never spoken to one person who thinks osker "is a bunch of assholes". No one really pays that much attention to them to hate them. We can call them the most "who are they?" band on epitaph....although epitaph has bulked up in that category (buy the refused and International Noise conspiracy albums). And I think music is shit without progression, the new stuff is nothing ground breaking, it just sounds less like a green day cover band. Oh, and please don't compare them to Dillinger Four.

Anonymous (June 9, 2001)

People hate them because they sound just like Green Day.

Anonymous (June 9, 2001)

To Fathead-

I think people hate them because at a show they did opening for NOFX they actually had the nuts to say shit and down NOFX. Eh.

Anonymous (June 8, 2001)

Decent soft album..

Anonymous (June 8, 2001)

why do people hate them? what I've heard is pretty good. This is a good review also.-fathead